Office of Intergovernmental Relations
600 Fourth Avenue, 5th Floor
P.O. Box 94746
Seattle, WA   98124-4746
(206) 684-8055

Background

The Seattle Sister Cities Coordinating Council was created in 1996 to serve as the coordinating organization for the sister cities program.  It consists of 20 members appointed by the Mayor and approved by the City Council to serve two-year terms.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Council is to provide guidance to and facilitate coordination among the 21 sister city associations; to help strengthen the overall program in a way that benefits the both the City and the individual associations; to expand visibility and recognition for the overall sister cities program; to recommend to the City Council and Mayor appropriate policies and strategies to strengthen the sister city program; and to develop a long-term vision for the future of Seattle’s sister cities.

Organization

The Seattle Sister Cities Coordinating Council consists of 20 members appointed by the Mayor and approved by the City Council to serve 2-year terms.  Membership categories are as follows: 

• 10 representatives from sister city associations, chosen on a rotating basis
• 1 representative from the City Council, appointed by Council
• 1 representative from the Office of Intergovernmental Relations
• 1 representative from Greater Seattle Trade Development Alliance, Port of Seattle or Chamber of Commerce
• 7 representatives from educational/cultural institutions and business community

Meetings: 7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. every other month

Location: OIR International Conference Room, Seattle City Hall, 600 4^th Avenue.

General Responsibilities

• Develop a future vision for the sister cities program, make recommendations to associations, City Council and Mayor, and propose a plan for fulfilling the vision;
• Recommend to the City Council and the Mayor appropriate guidelines and policies for the overall sister city program;
• Evaluate city resources allocated to the sister city program on a bi-annual basis, assess needs, and make recommendations to the City Council and Mayor.
• Review and evaluate City policies and proposals for establishing new sister cities and joint programs, and make recommendations to the City Council and the Mayor.
• Analyze the criteria for maintaining active sister city status, provide guidance to associations that fail to meet the active-status criteria, and recommend to the City Council and Mayor a plan for remedying such situations.
• Recommend projects and programs that will improve coordination among sister city associations, enhance their contribution to the community and increase the visibility of sister city programs.
• Support fund-raising for the overall sister city program or specific joint projects.